GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 21: A fan holds up a head shot sign of Raffi Torres of the Phoenix Coyotes in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Jobing.com Arena on April 21, 2012 in Glendale, Arizona. Raffi Torres was suspended 25 games by the NHL for the blow to the head he delivered to Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa during Game 3. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(SB Nation) - Raffi Torres has decided to appeal his 25-game suspension, and he'll meet with the league on Thursday to do so, according to a report from Sportsnet.
The suspension was originally handed down in April during the Western Conference Semifinal series between the Phoenix Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Torres delivered a brutal, illegal hit on Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa in Game 3. Torres completed the trifecta on the check: He hit a player who didn't have the puck, he targeted Hossa's head and left his feet while delivering the hit.
Ultimately, the decision to overturn the suspension falls on Commissioner Gary Bettman. It seems unlikely that he'll lessen the blow on Torres' 25-game ban, which will force him to miss the remainder of the NHL postseason and perhaps even games next season, depending on how deep the Coyotes advance in these playoffs and how many games they have to play should they reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Torres' 25-game suspension is the longest in Stanley Cup Playoffs history.
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